King George III
Ruler of Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. He issued the Proclamation of 1763 to stop colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to make peace with the Native Americans.
French & Indian War
war fought between French/Indians and English over claim to the Ohio River Valley
*The English defeated French in 1763.
boycott
refuse to buy certain goods - Colonists did this to protest taxes placed on British goods.
repeal
to end; to cancel a law
Paul Revere
American silversmith remembered for his midnight ride to warn the colonists in Lexington and Concord that British troops were coming
George Washington
Led British troops during the French and Indian War
Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army
Thomas Jefferson
He was a delegate from Virginia at the Second Continental Congress and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He later served as the third President of the United States.
Declaration of Independence
the document from the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) saying the colonies were independent from Great Britain
Sons of Liberty
secret society of colonists who opposed British policies
Stamp Act
1765 Parliament passed this act requiring colonist to pay taxes on many paper items, Britain needed more money to pay for French and Indian War debt, angered colonists, and King repealed finally repealed Stamp Act
Boston Massacre
First bloodshed of the Revolution, colonists disliked having more British soldiers in the colonies, 5 colonists died, British soldiers now seen as killers.
Boston Tea Party
(1773) Protest against the Tea Act, group of colonists boarded British tea ships and dumped some tea into Boston Harbor, King closes Boston Harbor, King loses tax money, King creates Intolerable Acts
Intolerable Acts
Four acts (laws) passed to punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party. Boston Harbor closed and colonists had to quarter (let live in their houses) British soldiers.
Continental Congress
Colony representatives who met to discuss the best way to respond to the British.
representation
a voice in one's government
Committees of Correspondence
A group that united colonies by writing letters that told what was happening in other colonies. Helped spread information more quickly between colonies.
Interdependence
Depending on one another for economic resources
revolution
a sudden, complete change in government
imperial policies
laws and orders issued by the King and the British Parliament
declaration
an official statement
Patrick Henry
A colonist who tried to persuade other colonists that taxes were unfair, said "Give me liberty, or give me death!
Samuel Adams
Colonist who started Committees of Correspondence and Sons of Liberty
Battles of Lexington and Concord
These battles mark the beginning of the American Revolution.